Important Blue Diamonds of the World
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IMPORTANT BLUE DIAMONDS OF THE WORLD POLISHED POLISHED INTENSITY OF COLOUR NAME ROUGH CARAT WEIGHT CARAT CLARITY MINE/COUNTRY VALUE IN US DOLLARS INTERESTING FACTS AND GENERAL INFORMATION SHAPE AND MODIFIER WEIGHT Unknown but original weight Modified Fancy Light Blue (GIA - Once owned by Abdul Hamid II, the 34th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. Purchased and sold by both Harry Winston and Laurence Graff. Current owner or whereabouts Idol's Eye could have been around 200 70.21 Unknown Golconda, India Unknown Triangle examined in 1995) are unknown. carats Rectangular 24.18 Fancy Intense Blue VS2 mixed-cut Undergoing GIA Rough stone sold for value equivalent to This diamond was sold to a beneficiation partnership comprising Petra Diamonds (15%) and its polishing partner (85%) in September 2014. The Cullinan Dream (set as a The Cullinan Dream 122.52 11.3 Pear-shaped Cullinan Mine, South Africa certification $27.6 million magnificaent diamond ring) was sold for $25.3 million at Christie's in New York on 9 June 2016. 10.3 Radiant Fancy Blue 7 Cushion Fancy Blue Unknown but original weight Copenhagen Blue Diamond could have been around 120 45.85 Emerald-cut Fancy Blue Unknown Jagersfontein Mine, South Africa Unknown Named in honour of the Copenhagen Exhibition held in 1960. Only major blue diamond found at the Jagersfonterin Mine. Current owner or whereabouts are unknown. carats Antique- Fancy Dark Grayish-Blue Golconda, India The most famous blue of them all - now in the Smithsonian Washington DC. The Hope is arguably the most expensive coloured diamond in the world. The stone has a The Hope Diamond 112.5 45.52 VS1 Over $300,000 in 1911 cushion cut (GIA - examined in 1996) 1663-68 long history and much has been written about the supposed "curse" of the Hope Diamond. Donated to the Smithsonian by Harry Winston in 1958. Unknown but original weight Almost always called the Tereschenko. The original owners were the Tereschenko's, a sugar magnate family in pre-communist Russia. In 1915, Mikhail Tereschenko Fancy Blue (GIA - $4.6 million at Christie's Geneva sale in Tereschenko or Mouawad Blue could have been over 100 42.92 Pear-shaped Unknown Kollur alluvial deposits in Golconda, India instructed Cartier to mount the gem as the centerpiece of a necklace. The Tereschenko was secretly taken out of Russia and passed into private ownership. In examined in 1984) November 1984 carats November 1984, Robert Mouawad bought it at Christie' and renamed it the Mouawad Blue. Fancy Light Blue (GIA - Only major blue diamond found in Guinea. Graff Imperial Blue 101.5 39.81 Pear-shaped IF Aredor Mine, Guinea Unknown examined in 1984) Current owner or whereabouts are unknown. Unknown but original weight Old European cut which Harry Winston repolished to 37.05 carats in 1961. Last sold in 1967 in Europe by Harry Winston. Current whereabouts or owner are unknown. Crown of Charlemagne could have been around 100 37.05 Round Brilliant Fancy Light Blue Reportedly Flawless Unknown but most likely Golconda, India Sold in 1967 carats This diamond is believed to have emanated from India during the mid 1800's. Although the name suggests a possible linkage with the ruling families of Morocco, the Unknown but original weight Sultans, there is no evidence to confirm this. The diamond was in the possession of the Yousupov family, a Russian noble family of Tartari descent, in 1840. In 1922, Square Sultan of Morocco could have been around 100 35.27 Fancy Grayish-Blue Unknown Golconda, India $250,000 in a private American sale in 1972 Prince Felix Yousupov, the last Yousupov prince and best known for his direct involvement in the murder of Rasputin, sold the diamond to Cartier's of New York. Cushion-cut carats In 1969 Cartier loaned the diamond to the New York State Museum for their World of Gems Exposition. Current whereabouts or owner are unknown. This stone was split when first Harry Winston purchased the rough stone in 1958. The larger stone was sold in 1969 as the pendant for a diamond necklace. Winston repurchased it two years later, Cornflower Blue Diamond-1 31.93 Pear-shaped manufactured; suggesting that the rough then sold it to a Middle Eastern client in 1971. Current whereabouts or owner are unknown. 158 Fancy Blue Unknown Cullinan Mine, South Africa stone may have had a crack, however, the estimated value is unknown Cornflower Blue Diamond-2 12.39 Round brilliant Set in a ring and sold by Winston in 1969. Current whereabouts or owner are unknown. Unknown but original weight The Witteslbach was originally a 35.56 ct Fancy Deep Grayish Blue VS2 clarity. The stone was first publicly shown in 1722 at the marriage of Maria Amalia to Charles of Cushion- Acquired by Laurence Graff for $24.3 million Wittelsbach - now Wittelsbach-Graff could have been around 100 31.06 Fancy Deep Blue (GIA) IF Golconda, India Bavaria (of the Wittelsbach family) in Munich. In 2008 the stone was sold at Christie's to Laurence Graff and became the highest price ever paid for a diamond at shaped in 2008 carats auction. Graff re-cut the stone to a grade of Fancy Deep Blue with Internally Flawless (IF) clarity, weighing 31.06 carats. Found in the Premier Mine in 1908 and faceted by French jeweler Atanik Eknayan of Paris in 1909-1910. The stone was purchased by Pierre Cartier in 1910 and sold to Fancy Deep Blue (GIA - Sold by Van Cleef & Arpels for $300,000 in the Unzue family of Argentina . It was next acquired by Van Cleef & Arpels in 1953 and Harry Winston in 1958. Mrs. Marjorie Merriweather Post purchased the ring from The Blue Heart 100.5 30.62 Heart-shaped VS2 Cullinan Mine, South Africa Examined in 1997) 1953 Harry Winston in 1960 and gifted the stone to the Smithsonian in 1964. The diamond is also known as the Unzue Blue and sometimes referred to as the "Eugenie Blue", although there is no evidence that the Empress ever owned it. Unknown but original weight Tapered Fancy Intense Blue (GIA - Blue Lili could have been around 100 30.06 Unknown Cullinan Mine, South Africa Unknown The Blue Lili diamond is a tapered cushion shape and was cut by the William Goldberg Corporation and named after Goldberg's wife, Lili. The current owner is unknown. cushion-cut Examined in 1980) carats Unknown but original weight Unknown, however the Heart of Eternity is The Heart of Eternity wasrecovered in the Premier Diamond Mine in South Africa. It was cut by the Steinmetz Group for De Beers and was unveiled in January 2000 as The Heart of Eternity could have been around 90 27.64 Heart-shaped Fancy Vivid Blue (GIA) VS2 Cullinan Mine, South Africa arguably the most famous of the modern part of the De Beers Millennium Jewels collection at London’s Millennium Dome. The Heart was later displayed at the Smithsonian and was noted to be on loan from a carats blue diamonds private collector. Unknown but original weight Transvaal Blue could have been around 90 25.00 Pear-shaped Fancy Blue Unknown Cullinan Mine, South Africa Unknown Originally owned by Baumgold Brothers. Not much has been recorded on the history of this diamond. The present owners are unknown. carats Unknown but original weight $9.9 million by Sotheby's in New York in Sam Abram Fancy Blue diamond could have been around 70 20.17 Emerald-cut Fancy Vivid Blue VS2 Cullinan Mine, South Africa Originally bought by Siba Corporation. It is not known if Mr Abrams is the current owner. 1994 carats Unknown but original weight Graff Blue Ice Diamond 20.02 Pear-shaped Fancy Deep Blue (GIA) Unknown Cullinan Mine, South Africa Unknown Polished by Graff and set in ring. No information as to the current owner. must have around 70 carats Unknown but original weight The largest vivid blue diamond ever to appear at auction. The Oppenheimer Blue was named in honour of a very special connoisseur - its previous owner, Sir Philip $58.0 million by Christies in Geneva in May The Oppenheimer Blue could have been around 30-40 14.62 Emerald-cut Fancy Vivid Blue (GIA) VVS1 Thought to be Cullinan Mine, South Africa Oppenheimer. The Oppenheimers have been leaders in the diamond industry for generations and Sir Philip could have had any diamond he wanted. But he chose this 2016 carats one, with its perfect hue, impeccable proportions and fabulous rectangular shape. $42.1 million by Sotheby's in Geneva in May The Memory of Autumn Leaves Unknown 14.54 Pear-shaped Fancy Vivid Blue IF Unknown Originally named the "Apollo Blue" and sold to an anonymous buyer set in a pair of diamond earrings, alongside the 16 carat "Artemis Pink" (which fetched $15.3 million) 2017 Unknown but original weight The Blue Empress diamond was recovered at the Premier Mine and was bought and polished by the Steinmetz Group. It was unveiled in November 2003 at Harrods in The Blue Empress could have been around 40 14.00 Pear-shaped Fancy Blue (GIA) Unknown Cullinan Mine, South Africa Unknown London and attracted international attention. The current owner and whereabouts are unknown. carats Unknown but original weight The Begum Blue diamond belonged to Princess Salima Aga Khan, the wife of His Royal Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV. She was officially referred to as Her Fancy Deep Blue (GIA - $7.75 million at Christie's Geneva in The Begum Blue could have been around 40 13.78 Heart-shaped Unknown Cullinan Mine, South Africa Highness Begum Salima Aga Khan or just as Her Highness the Begum.